Investment in Credit Information Companies : RBI aligns Rules

The Reserve Bank of India has, in supersession of its directive dated November 29, 2013, revised its directions (DBR. CID. BC. No.98/20.16.042/2015-16 dated May 19, 2016), allowing higher Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limits in Credit Information Companies (CICs) to entities which have an established track record of running a Credit Information Bureau in a well regulated environment, as under:

up to 49 per cent if ownership of the investor company is not well diversified;

up to 100 per cent if ownership of investor company is well diversified, or if not well diversified, subject to conditions relating to composition of the Board of Directors of the investee CIC. Investment of Foreign Institutional Investors (FII)/Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) should directly or indirectly hold below 10 per cent equity.